Election Countdown 2012: As the Police Fear Protest at the RNC All "Basic Rudiments of Puppeteering" Are Banned and More

This week in the 2012 Election Countdown, the fear instilled in Tampa residents by police over protesters turns out to be unfounded; no stable internet connection at the RNC means minimal social media coverage for the event; the Republican and Democratic agenda is too close for comfort for some voters; Romney toats his investors in a yatch off the coast of the Cayman Islands; and more.

D – 11 and counting*

"Things are always different than what they might be...If you wait for them to change, you will never do anything." ― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

Ron Paul: "A long stream of Paul's backers from ME, OK, OR, AZ, and several other states protested the RNCon's treatment of Paul and his supporters by walking out of the convention hall with chants of, 'As Maine goes, so goes the nation!'" (wrap-up). ... Ron Paul, NM delegate: "They're criminals, and they're crooks, and we want transparency." True dat. ... Ron Paul, OK delegate: "I wouldn't vote for Mitt Romney any more than I would vote for Obama. They're both war mongers and elitists. There's no difference. It's two sides of the same coin. And nothing's going to change." True dat. Of course, things can always change for the worse.

Occupy. Agents provocateurs: "Seven activists from Austin, Dallas, and Houston blocked the main entrance into the port by laying in the road and linking arms inside lockboxes which physically linked them together so that police cut them apart. The use of these instruments resulted in these seven being charged with [a felony], while others who merely linked arms and legs faced lesser misdemeanor charges. [An] undercover agent with the police department acquired the materials and built the 'lockboxes'."

OK. Ballot access: "OK state officials have acted to keep Gary Johnson off the ballot. On August 17, the Attorney General issued a 20-page opinion saying the State Board of Elections should disregard the action of the state officers of Americans Elect, who had nominated Gary Johnson for President. But, he kept this opinion a secret from the Americans Elect Party state officers."

VA. Sullivan speech: "One item that was not on the agenda for the faculty meeting was the no-confidence vote [in the Board] taken by the senate a week after Sullivan's ouster.'We haven't rescinded it,' George Cohen, chair of the faculty senate, said."

WI. Tinpot tyrants: "As the video clearly captures, Deputy Callies then turned around lunged at a woman who was videotaping his tirade. He forcibly reached for her camera, pushing himself into her. He grabbed the woman's arm and ripped the camera phone out of her hand, giving no explanation. He then tore another supporter's phone away in the exact same manner." ... Tinpot tyrants: "The ranks of the noonday singalong at the state Capitol swelled Tuesday after remarks by the new Capitol police chief that a crackdown on such protests was coming." ... Convention: "I may never have seen a happier delegation. They have the R National Chairman in Reinz Preibus. They have a Governor with a truly national profile in Scott Walker. They have an incumbent Republican Senator in Ron Johnson. They have a Republican senatorial candidate with even more impeccable Wisconsin credentials in Tommy Thompson. They have one of the Convention Co-Chairs, in long-serving national committeewoman Mary Buestrin. And last but not least, they have the R nominee for Vice President in Paul Ryan. All this in a state that last went Republican for President in 1984, when it was nearly impossible not to do so." The recall was more uphill than many realized.

Outside baseball. Charters: "When any educator dares to challenge the conventional wisdom and say that our schools are not failing, they can expect to be excoriated by reformers. A reformer these days is someone who believes that the 'system' is obsolete and broken and must be handed over to private corporations."

* 11 days until the Democratic National Convention ends with an airdrop of bottled water and C-rations for everyone on the floor of the Bank of America Panther Stadium, Charlotte, NC. MA and TN have 11 electoral votes.

This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

Election Countdown 2012: As the Police Fear Protest at the RNC All "Basic Rudiments of Puppeteering" Are Banned and More

This week in the 2012 Election Countdown, the fear instilled in Tampa residents by police over protesters turns out to be unfounded; no stable internet connection at the RNC means minimal social media coverage for the event; the Republican and Democratic agenda is too close for comfort for some voters; Romney toats his investors in a yatch off the coast of the Cayman Islands; and more.

D – 11 and counting*

"Things are always different than what they might be...If you wait for them to change, you will never do anything." ― Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady

Ron Paul: "A long stream of Paul's backers from ME, OK, OR, AZ, and several other states protested the RNCon's treatment of Paul and his supporters by walking out of the convention hall with chants of, 'As Maine goes, so goes the nation!'" (wrap-up). ... Ron Paul, NM delegate: "They're criminals, and they're crooks, and we want transparency." True dat. ... Ron Paul, OK delegate: "I wouldn't vote for Mitt Romney any more than I would vote for Obama. They're both war mongers and elitists. There's no difference. It's two sides of the same coin. And nothing's going to change." True dat. Of course, things can always change for the worse.

Occupy. Agents provocateurs: "Seven activists from Austin, Dallas, and Houston blocked the main entrance into the port by laying in the road and linking arms inside lockboxes which physically linked them together so that police cut them apart. The use of these instruments resulted in these seven being charged with [a felony], while others who merely linked arms and legs faced lesser misdemeanor charges. [An] undercover agent with the police department acquired the materials and built the 'lockboxes'."

OK. Ballot access: "OK state officials have acted to keep Gary Johnson off the ballot. On August 17, the Attorney General issued a 20-page opinion saying the State Board of Elections should disregard the action of the state officers of Americans Elect, who had nominated Gary Johnson for President. But, he kept this opinion a secret from the Americans Elect Party state officers."

VA. Sullivan speech: "One item that was not on the agenda for the faculty meeting was the no-confidence vote [in the Board] taken by the senate a week after Sullivan's ouster.'We haven't rescinded it,' George Cohen, chair of the faculty senate, said."

WI. Tinpot tyrants: "As the video clearly captures, Deputy Callies then turned around lunged at a woman who was videotaping his tirade. He forcibly reached for her camera, pushing himself into her. He grabbed the woman's arm and ripped the camera phone out of her hand, giving no explanation. He then tore another supporter's phone away in the exact same manner." ... Tinpot tyrants: "The ranks of the noonday singalong at the state Capitol swelled Tuesday after remarks by the new Capitol police chief that a crackdown on such protests was coming." ... Convention: "I may never have seen a happier delegation. They have the R National Chairman in Reinz Preibus. They have a Governor with a truly national profile in Scott Walker. They have an incumbent Republican Senator in Ron Johnson. They have a Republican senatorial candidate with even more impeccable Wisconsin credentials in Tommy Thompson. They have one of the Convention Co-Chairs, in long-serving national committeewoman Mary Buestrin. And last but not least, they have the R nominee for Vice President in Paul Ryan. All this in a state that last went Republican for President in 1984, when it was nearly impossible not to do so." The recall was more uphill than many realized.

Outside baseball. Charters: "When any educator dares to challenge the conventional wisdom and say that our schools are not failing, they can expect to be excoriated by reformers. A reformer these days is someone who believes that the 'system' is obsolete and broken and must be handed over to private corporations."

* 11 days until the Democratic National Convention ends with an airdrop of bottled water and C-rations for everyone on the floor of the Bank of America Panther Stadium, Charlotte, NC. MA and TN have 11 electoral votes.

This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.